Dive training question: ground work?

[The Chairman]

I do get my students to the prone position on the floor or grass to teach finning and proper trim. I signal "superman position" with my arms extended forward or "too cool for school" with my arms crossed across my chest. Doing this on land right before confined water sessions has worked well for me underwater.

This is so important. Elena and I refer to is as the Scuba Position, so they get the idea that when they are on Scuba, they need to assume the position.

 

[diversteve]

was this task performed UW or as ground work prior?

I've even seen it done blindfolded once. On a beach between palm trees. Was pretty hilarious to watch esp. since we were at a nearby bar. 1/2 dozen times they re-acquired the line and walked smack into a low hanging palm frond.

 

[DivemasterDennis]

Also, I think the equivalent of "ground work" in scuba is the pool work. Controlled environment, but one like that in which you will dive. Being in the water is necessary to get familiar with equipment and the unique way of breathing when under the water. Not so for skydiving. However, in those classes with which I am involved we do a lot of "land training" not unlike skydiving. These incldue assembly and dis-assembly of equipment; same for oxygen and other rescue diver equipment and scenarios; practice with carrying, dragging, moving injured victims is a part as well. And in open water and advanced open water we do a lot of compass navigation land work. Lately, I also review use of spg's, inflating them orally or by power inflator, deploying a reel, and other skills on land before students attempt them in the water. So there is a lot of land work and pool woirk involved, at least in properly presented classes. And don't forget the hours of book/online work which is predicate to both. I for one believe that scuba training, certainly at my PADI shop, is very through; no one is "rushed" into the water or under it.
DivemasterDennis

 

[PhatD1ver]

It's largely a marketing thing, but also speaks to adult learning principles. (Plus, one obvious thing.)


Adult learning principles: Putting things that you just learned in the classroom/academics to practical use as soon as possible after the academic session enhances learning.

Lastly - although people like to make the comparison between scuba diving and sky diving, the two have absolutely nothing in common. Specific to scuba training, it's very easy to work your way into actually doing skills in the water - initial/simple skills in confined water, more advanced skills in confined and open water, and ultimately putting them altogether in open water. You can't do this in skydiving.

"OK, today we're going to go up and learn how to jump out of the plane. Tomorrow... we'll learn how to open the parachute."


I think the attrition rate would be unacceptably high.

:d

yet for some reason, this is exactly what we did in airborne school, days of practicing our landings, learning about our equipment, the swing trainers, the tower trainers, and then jumping from a perfectly good airplane... it takes 3 weeks to be a paratrooper and we practice all the basic skills before we ever leave the door of an airplane, starting with the most important ... how not to break your 5th point of contact... (that's your arse for you civilians)...